Rise of The Shadow Walkers
by Robobrony
Summary: For those who know the tale of Nightshade the shadow walker, you know very little is still unkown about him, about his kind. Where did the first shadow walker come from? How are they able to do what they do? This is the tale of how the first shadow walker came to be.
1. Chapter 1

**Rise Of The Shadow Walkers**

**Chapter One: Where It All Began**

Ages ago, before Celestia and Luna ruled over Equestria, before the dark rule of the god of chaos. Long before there even was an Equestria, in a land far from where Equestria would come to be, there lived a tribe of ponies, earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and alicorns. These races lived together in peace in houses of stone and wood. The city was ruled by seven ponies of their kind. Two pegasi, two earth ponies, two unicorns, and one alicorn. They were known as the council and ruled the city of ponies justly and fairly.

The ponies of this city were content with how things were. They had magic and were capable of utilizing it to make their lives easier. None questioned or cared where magic came from, how it worked, and why it was able to do what it did. All they cared about was that it was there and they could use it to help them in their lives. The alicorns were treated no different than the other ponies, and lived their lives like the others. There was one alicorn, though, who did have a curious mind. He wanted to learn about magic and find its secrets. Little did he know that his search for answers would lead him to discover a new kind of magic, a kind of magic that would be seen as terrifying and dark. This is the story of the first shadow walker pony.

Our tale begins on a normal day in the city of Trotsdale. The ponies were going about the cobble stone streets, greeting one another happily. At the center of the town was a large stone grey castle where the council lived and convened to make important decisions about the city and how it should be run. There were ponies who worked under the council as well to help with things about the city such as keeping up with population numbers, making sure every pony obeys the laws and doesn't cause trouble, and learning about the stars.

One pony in particular, on the science team, was an alicorn. He had a curious mind and loved learning new things. Unlike most of the other ponies of the castle, who were rather close minded in his opinion. They were satisfied with the fact that things just worked and didn't wonder why or how. This one wanted to learn the why and how about the world around him. His special talent had earned him his cutie mark, which was of seven white specks that were stars. He liked looking at the stars and learning all he could about them the most. He had a blue coat and a black mane and tail with blue eyes. His name was Stardust.

"Councilpony Auburn, aren't you at least a little curious how the sun and moon move?" Stardust said as he addressed the councilpony leader. Stardust stood at about four feet in height. He had the fortune of running into Auburn in one of the castle's halls lined with windows on one side with sunlight streaming in. The stone that made up the walls and floor were near black. Paintings of other ponies in fancy outfits lined the walls opposite the one with windows.

"No I'm not. All I need to know is that they move and provide day and night when needed. Why do you insist on finding out how and why they move?" Councilpony Auburn was an alicorn with a white coat and a caramel mane and tail, and brown eyes. His cutie mark was of a pair of crossed scrolls. He stood half a foot taller than Stardust. "All you need to know is they work, there is no need to go any further than that." Auburn said in a deep authoritative voice.

"But there is so much to learn about the world around us. Why not learn all we can?" Stardust argued in his usual young curious voice.

"Because there is no need, I am getting very tired of you trying to get the council's approval for your ridiculous experiments. You're lucky you have the position of star mapper. Frankly, I don't see the point of learning about the stars either. But they do help determine the seasons and such, I suggest you don't push your luck and I make a motion to have your position eliminated. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to." Auburn said as he pushed his way past Stardust.

Stardust glared at Auburn as he walked away. "Still no luck I see." A feminine voice with a bit of a rasp asked.

Stardust glanced back at the source, then face forward again as he replied. "That close minded fool. What if something were to happen where such knowledge would come in useful? What if some pony came down with an illness that could be cured with the knowledge of things around us like what properties plants have? We could find cures for all kinds of illnesses from the plants that grow around here and ponies would die from diseases because he was too stupid to look for an answer right in front of his muzzle."

"That's our leader for you." The female voice responded. "Stubborn as a mule and twice as big." The voice laughed.

Stardust couldn't help but laugh a little as well at the quip. He finally faced the source of the voice completely to see an alicorn mare before him. "No kidding. How did some pony like him even get to where he is anyway?"

The alicorn mare had a light yellow coat, a flowing red mane and tail, orange eyes, and a magnifying glass for a cutie mark. "Who knows, maybe he intimidated his way to the top."

Stardust smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case."

"Maybe you'll have better luck with convincing council pony Earth Shaker."

"HAH, he's way more intimidating then Auburn, Sunflare." Stardust retorted.

"Come on, I'll treat you to a meal to help you calm down." Sunflare offered.

"What I NEED is for these ponies who are in charge to have a more open mind. Instead, we're stuck with a bunch of close minded, stubborn, self-absorbed…" Stardust sounded angrier and angrier with each word.

Sunflare placed a hoof on his back. "Stardust! Calm down, don't let yourself get worked up like this. Take a deep breath and relax." She said as she looked at him with concern. Stardust looked at her first, then closed his eyes and did as she said. "Better?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you Sunflare, I'm so glad I have you as an assistant." Stardust said as he gave her a smile.

Sunflare smiled back. "Glad I could be of help. Come on, let's get that food I mentioned. I'm so hungry I could eat a whole field of greens."

Stardust smirked. "Since when did you become a cow?"

Sunflare smirked back. "Ha ha, very funny." She gave him a light punch in the shoulder. "Come on jester, let's go."

"After you my lady." Stardust said with a bow and a wave of his hoof.

Sunflare rolled her eyes with a smirk at the display and just started walking to the mess hall.

The mess hall was a large room with long wooden tables and benches set up to eat at. The food was brought to those who ate there by the ponies working the kitchen. Sunflare and Stardust had a wooden bowl of vegetable soup in front of them. They sat across from each other at one of the tables near the center of the hall. They each used their magic to lift the wooden spoons provided to eat their soup. "The soup is very good today." Sunflare said in hopes of starting a conversation to get Stardust's mind off of things.

"I guess." Stardust replied coldly.

Sunlfare set her spoon down in her bowl. "Oh come on, will you just forget that rock headed goat for a minute?" she said almost angrily.

Stardust looked up at her. "I'm sorry Sunflare, but I can't help it. I want to learn all I can about the world. I'm just so curious about the inner workings of it all and I can barely do anything about it because I need the council's permission for any experiment."

"Why can't you just accept it and move on? Just live your life like every pony else." Sunflare stated.

"What? And be a mindless sheep like every other pony? I'm supposed to just fall in line and blindly do what I'm told?" Stardust nearly shouted.

"AHEM!" A gruff male voice came from the end of the table the two were sitting at.

Stardust and Sunflare looked to the source to see a muscular stone faced stallion with a brown coat, a black mane and tail combed back, and a triangular shaped mass of land with the point facing down and a crack going down the middle halfway through for a cutie mark. He had a very displeased look.

"If you have a problem with how we run things, you need only bring your concerns to the council and present your argument there, not speaking of them in this manner." The stallion said in a gruff voice.

"Oh, hello council pony Earth Shaker." Sunflare said with a nervous smile. "We were just talking about…..something else." Sunflare offered in hopes of staying out of trouble.

"Really, like what?" The large earth pony asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We were talking about….SHEEP!" She shouted in desperation for an excuse. "Yeah, about how sheep migrate and such."

"I see." Earth Shaker glanced at Stardust who didn't look nervous at all. "Well do keep your voices down in the mess hall. This is a place for eating, not yelling. Good day Sunflare, Stardust." The earth pony gave a nod then walked away.

Sunflare sighed in relief. "Whew, that was close. Stardust, you really should be more careful with your words. What if he heard all you were saying?"

"I hope he did, I'm tempted to just walk up to each and every one of those council members and give them a piece of my mind."

Sunflare looked at him worriedly. "You can't do that, you could lose your position, you could get kicked out of the castle. Or worse….you could get banished to the dark forest."

"Better than being here, at least out there, I'd be free to learn." Stardust retorted.

"Yeah, for at least five minutes before the monsters there kill you and eat you. Come on Stardust, you can't mean that."

Stardust looked at Sunflare. "How long have you been my assistant Sunflare?"

Sunflare paused, caught off guard by the question. "Well, I think it's been about 15 years now."

"And how long have you known me?" He asked again.

Sunflare sighed. "20." She answered weakly.

"Exaclty, we have known each other practically all our lives. We've been such good friends for so long. You should know me by now and how I feel about this whole situation."

Sunflare glared at him. "Did YOU ever consider other's feelings? That maybe there are ponies who care about you too much to just let you throw your life away on some silly ideals?"

Stardust glared back. "Silly ideals? Oh, so now my ideas are silly are they?"

Sunflare continued. "I didn't mean it like that and you know it! Your just being a….a…A SELFISH JERK! GAH!" Sunflare threw her head back in frustration. She picked up her bowl of soup with her magic and stormed off in a huff.

As she got halfway through the mess hall, Stardust realized what he did. "Stardust, you idiot." He berated himself. He quickly got up from his seat and galloped after her. "Sunflare, wait!" He called after her. He managed to catch up to her and got to her side. "Sunflare, please, I'm sorry." He tried to say.

"I'm not talking to you Stardust." Sunflare said with her head raised and her eyes closed.

"Sunflare, please, I'm sorry all right? You were right, I was being an idiot and a selfish jerk. Please Sunflare, I'm really sorry." Stardust pleaded.

Sunlfare stopped in her tracks. She looked at Stardust with one eye. "Are you really sorry?" She asked.

"Yes, I was being an idiot, a jerk, and a stupid stubborn mule. Please forgive me."

She looked at him completely. "Don't you know how I would feel if something happened to you? Your my friend Stardust. If anything were to happen to you….I don't know what I'd do."

"I know, I wasn't thinking about you when I said what I did. And I'm sorry. Please, please, PLEASE forgive me." Stardust begged more.

Sunflare turned her whole body in his direction. "I'll forgive you on one condition."

"What is it, just name it." Stardust said with a smile.

"I want you to stop with your magic experiments your doing."

"WHAT?!" Stardust yelled out. He quickly placed both his front hooves over his mouth and looked around to see if any pony heard him. He then spoke in a whisper. "How did you know about that?"

"Come on Stardust, I know you. You want to learn about everything. Including magic. If the council finds out about your secret experiments, then you'll get banished for sure. Please Stardust, for me, just give up on it and let it go." She said with worry in her eyes.

"But I'm so close to making a breakthrough. I'm on the verge of a major discovery. You want me to just give up on it and let it go?"

"Please Stardust. I don't want to lose you. Please just give up on it and throw away any and all evidence you have pertaining to it."

"But…years of research will have been wasted. If I just quit, so much knowledge will have been lost. I can't just quit. I've found so many new spells that can be used to better our lives because of this."

"Stardust, if you keep up with this, the council will find out somehow and you'll get banished. Please Stardust, just give it up and quit with your magic research." Sunflare begged.

Stardust looked to the side sadly. How could he make such a decision? If he quits, so much knowledge will be lost. If he doesn't, he could very well lose his only friend. What is Stardust to do?

**AN: I couldn't help but get this out. Another idea for a story I wanted to put out there. I just got so eager with it, I hope you all like it.**


	2. Chapter Two: What Are Friends For

**The Rise Of The Shadow Walkers**

**Chapter Two: What Are Friends For?**

Stardust stood there struggling with the choice presented to him, his research, or his friend. His eyes darted back and forth rapidly as he thought. He finally closed his eyes and hung his head with a sigh. He looked back up into Sunflare's eyes. "Sunflare, I…..I…"

Sunflare raised a hoof to silence him. "Stardust, it's ok, I can see you're struggling with this. I shouldn't be forcing you to give up on something you like so much."

"Really?" Stardust asked.

"Of course, what kind of friend am I for forcing you to make such a choice?" Sunflare said with a smile.

Stardust smiled back. "Thanks Sunflare, that means a lot to me."

Sunflare continued. "Which is why I'm going to help you with your research."

"I'm glad you….wait, what?" Stardust said, looking shocked.

"I'm going to help you." She said again with an innocent smile.

"But…..Sunflare, what if we get caught, we'd both get banished." Stardust argued.

"Then we'll both get banished. I'm not about to let you face that alone knucklehead." Sunflare said.

"But Sunflare…." Stardust began before he was silenced again by Sunflare shoving a hoof on his mouth.

"AH, I am not about to abandon you. How long have I been your assistant?" She asked as she pulled her hoof away.

"Didn't I just ask you the same question?"

"You did, and now I'm asking you to make sure you remember." She said with a smirk.

Stardust gave a flat look. "You've been my assistant for fifteen years and we've known each other for twenty." He answered dryly.

"Exactly, which means YOU should know I'm not about to let you face this alone. I'm helping you and that's final." Sunflare said with finality, leaving no room to argue.

Stardust smiled as he shook his head. "Thank you Sunflare, this means a lot to me."

"What are friends for?" She asked.

"Excuse me." Came a nasaly snooty voice from the side.

Stardust and Sunflare faced the source to see a slender unicorn stallion wearing a fancy green colored suit with a green coat, a dark green mane and tail, grey eyes, and a dark red book for a cutie mark. "Oh, council pony Snooty. Hello there." Sunflare greeted.

"Your blocking the hall way you know?" Snooty pointed out.

"Terribly sorry sir." Stardust said as he and Sunflare steeped to the side to let him by.

Snooty took a glance at Sunflare. "And where are you going with that?" He asked as he pointed a hoof at Sunflare's forgotten bowl of soup.

Sunflare looked at the bowl still floating next to her. "Oh, this, I had forgotten I had this." She said with a nervous smile.

Snooty raised an eyebrow. "Really? You do know food is to stay IN the mess hall, don't you? You haven't forgotten the rules too have you?" He asked.

"Of course not sir." Sunflare said. "Terribly sorry, I just got lost in….a….discussion me and Stardust were having.

"If you intend to finish that, you had best take it back to the mess hall at once and eat it there. Good day Sunflare, Stardust." Snooty said as he walked past them to the mess hall.

After passing, Sunflare gave a shiver. "Hoo, there is just something about him that gives me the creeps, he reminds me of a…a…"

"A snake in the grass?" Stardust offered with a smirk.

Stardust giggled. "Not what I was going for, but it works. Come on, let's head back before we're caught breaking any more rules."

"Sure thing." Stardust said as he and Sunflare started back. "You know, I was about to say I'd choose my research right?" Stardust suddenly pointed out.

Sunflare looked at him with a smile. "Oh really?" She said, not really believing him.

"Really, if you were making me have to give up on my research, I would have left you then and there and found myself a new assistant."

"Good luck finding one to match MY good looks." Sunflare stated as she flipped her mane.

Stardust raised a hoof to his forehead and overdramatically spoke. "Oh, where shall I ever find another beautiful assistant to help me keep up my rugged good looks?" He then just looked at her. The two shared a good laugh after that and returned to their original seat. "Sunflare?" Stardust said after sitting back down.

"Yes?"

"I….well….that is….." He paused, only for a second. "Thank you, I feel really lucky to have a friend like you."

"Yeah, friend." Sunflare said as she looked to the side.

Stardust looked at her with concern. "Is something wrong?"

Sunflare looked back at Stardust and smiled. "No, I'm fine."

"If you're sure. Then after lunch, I'll take you to where I…." Stardust stopped. He looked around quickly to make sure no pony was within earshot. Once he was sure no pony was close enough to hear, he leaned across the table and whispered. "Where I do my magic research."

"Sounds like fun." Sunflare whispered back.

Later on, after they had finished their lunch, the two made their way out the front doors of the castle and down the steps into the town wearing brown cloaks with their hoods up. Around the castle were stone houses with wooden stands set up. Ponies were selling fruits, vegetables, and other things while other ponies went about their day buying things or just walking through the town. The Sky was covered with grey clouds today as Sunflare and Stardust made their way through town with Stardust leading the way.

They walked for a while, almost to the edge of town before Stardust approached a house. It was an unassuming stone structure with a wooden door and two windows in the front. "Here we are." Stardust said as he used his magic to open the door and walked in. The two put their hoods down as they entered.

"You have a home outside the castle?" Sunflare asked, seeming surprised by this fact.

The room they entered into from the front door had a stone fireplace on the right with a black kettle hanging over it. Near the center of the room was a wooden table with a few scrolls and books strewn about and a single candle at the center. On the left was a set of stairs leading to the second floor. Along the wall of the staircase was a book shelf with books sloppily placed on it. "It's kind of a mess." Sunflare observed.

Stardust walked up to the table and began organizing the papers. "Well it's not like I have company over here often. Besides, I don't live here, I use this place for conducting my experiments when I can get away from the castle. It's too risky to do them in the castle where some pony could walk in on me and catch me, so I got a place here. I use this house for my research and conduct my experiments."

"Clever." Sunflare stated. "So what now?"

Stardust faced her. "Come here, I'll show you a sample of the fruits of my work." Sunflare walked closer to Stardust and joined him at the table. "Watch this." He said as he eyed the candle on the table. Stardust lit up his horn and, just like that, the candle lit up.

"By the gods." Sunflare expressed. "How did you do that?" She asked as her eyes were glued to the candle.

"Magic of course." He said proudly with a hoof to his chest, his head raised and his eyes closed.

"But….how?" She asked again. She raised a hoof and moved it to the flame, thinking she could poke it like it was solid. "OW!" She quickly pulled her hoof back from the flame. It just wavered a bit from her touch and continued to burn. "It's hot."

Stardust rolled his eyes with a smirk. "This is just a sample of what I discovered magic can do. Now watch this." He then turned to the fireplace and did the same thing. With a poof, a fire started burning within the fireplace and provided warmth for the cold room.

Sunflare stared at the fire in awe. "That's….that's amazing. You discovered this with your research?"

"I did, and so much more. Think of how much easier our lives could be with this kind of knowledge. We could heal wounds more easily, we could light fires easier or provide light where it is needed. We could do so much with it." Stardust said as he got more and more excited at the thought.

Sunflare suddenly sounded unsure. "I…I don't know Stardust. Magic to control fire? That seems kind of dangerous, doesn't it?"

"Only if you don't know what you're doing or how the spell works, believe me, I learned that the hard way." Stardust said as he looked to the side.

Sunflare raised an eyebrow. "Wait….is that why you were wearing a cloak all day every day for two weeks that one time?"

Stardust gave a flat look. "I don't want to talk about it." He stated flatly.

"I don't know Stardust, this all seems so much now." Sunfalre said as she looked to the side.

Stardust took her by the shoulders and was nearly nose to nose with her as he looked her in the eyes. "Please Sunflare, you said you wanted to help, and it feels so good to finally let somepony in on this. Please don't back out now, I need you."

Those words sent a blush to Sunflare's cheeks. "You….need me?" She asked.

"Of course I do. Now that I think about it, this would be so much easier if you helped me with this. Please Sunflare."

"Oh, you're research, right." She said a little sadly. Stardust didn't pick up on this and stayed silent, waiting for Sunflare's answer. She looked him in the eyes. "All right Stardust, I said I would help, and I'll stand by that. I promise." She gave a smile.

Stardust grinned from ear to ear. "YES, thank you thank you thank you!" Stardust took Sunflare in a tight hug.

Sunflare blushed a little at the contact with a smile.

Stardust released and looked her in the eyes. "Sunflare, you are amazing." He then turned back around and went back to the table.

"_Sunflare, you idiot, why is this so hard?" _Sunflare asked herself internally. "So Stardust, what else have you found out with magic?"

Stardust was going over his scrolls as he began. "Oh, I have found so much already, we can do so much with magic, not just levitate things and other trivial tasks. I managed to come up with a spell that allows one to move from one spot to another almost instantaneously."

"You what? A spell that can move ponies from one place to another instantly?" She asked surprised.

"Yes, I have been going through my research extensively to make sure how it can be done properly and such. If it isn't done right, it can be dangerous for the user, but it would be useful in case of an emergency. Watch, I'm going to demonstrate by moving myself from this spot to the other side of the table."

"Are you sure it's safe Stardust?" Sunflare asked.

"Don't worry, I've tested it on objects before and moved them around just fine. I know what I'm doing. Now watch." Stardust closed his eyes and focused his inner magic. His horn lit up with his aura and, in a flash, he vanished from where he was, and in another flash, appeared right where he wanted. "HA HA! IT WORKED, it actually worked, I did it!" He cheered as he smiled.

Sunflare was surprised and confused. "That is amazing Stardust, but why do you seem so surprised it worked? Didn't you say you tested it before?"

"On objects, yes, but that was the first time I tried it myself. AND IT WORKED! Now do you see how useful magic can be if we learn all we can from it?"

"I do Stardust, but how are we going to get this information out if the council forbids such things. If you try to present this, they'll banish you for sure for going behind their backs and conducting such experiments." Sunflare said with more concern.

Stardust's mood dropped. "I know that Sunflare, I need to think of someway to convince the council this is a good thing. I need more time to come up with something. In the meantime, I need to keep working with this, I'm on the verge of a major discovery involving magic."

"Really, like what?" Sunflare asked with genuine interest.

"I'm not sure yet, but I think there may be another kind of magic out there, a kind we don't even know about yet."

"A new kind of magic? Really? Like what?"

"I don't know, I need to work on my findings more before I make any conclusions. I was planning on conducting an experiment later tonight to try and allow me access to this new kind of magic."

"Look Stardust, this is great and all, but I need to get back to the castle. I do have other duties to attend to after all." Sunflare said. "Good luck with your experiment." She put her hood up and started heading for the door.

"Sunflare, wait." Stardust called to her.

Sunflare stopped in her tracks. She turned to face Stardust. "Yes?"

"Don't you want to be here for when I conduct my experiment tonight?" He asked.

"I think that might not be a good idea, I'll be missed if I come tonight. That could raise suspicion and others would come looking for me. That could end up leading them to your place here and find all your research." Sunflare pointed out.

"Oh, right, good thinking. All right then, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes tomorrow when we see each other." Stardust then gave a smile. "Thank you again for everything, I really appreciate this."

Sunflare gave one back. "Sure, no problem Stardust, I'll see you later back at the castle." She then used her magic to open the door and headed out.

"Now, let's continue where I left off." Stardust said as he gathered his notes.

Sunflare had just exited her room in the castle after depositing her cloak. She started down the hall to where Stardust's lab in the castle was to tend to her duties when she came across Auburn. "Ah, Sunflare, good to see you." He said with a smile.

Sunflare kept a straight muzzle as she greeted back. "Hello Auburn, sir. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine thank you, I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner tonight?" Auburn asked.

"Sorry, but I have things I need to tend to tonight for Stardust, he needs me to check the stars tonight to make sure they are in order." Sunflare stated. "Please excuse me." She started to walk to get by Auburn.

Auburn quickly stepped in front of Sunflare to block her path. "Oh come now, I'm sure that silly pony can take care of it himself. Just forget that and join me for dinner." Auburn persisted.

"_Can't he take a hint?"_ Sunflare asked herself. "Sorry, but I really need to do this, there is a lot of work to be done."

Auburn frowned. "Do you have any idea how lucky a mare would be to be sought after by me?" He asked. "You should rethink your position."

Sunflare kept her look straight. "I don't need to rethink it, my mind is made up."

Auburn glared at her. "It's that fool Stardust isn't it? You like him as more than just a friend."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She stated confidently.

Auburn spread out his wings to make himself seem more threatening. "Don't give me that, I've seen the way you look at him from time to time with those beautiful eyes of yours."

"_Oh gods, I think I'm going to be sick." _She thought to herself. "Council Pony Auburn, while I appreciate the compliment and all, I'm just not looking for a relationship."

Auburn lowered his head closer to Sunflare. "I warn you Sunflare, I can make things difficult for you and your friend. Don't cross me." Auburn brought his head back up and walked off, leaving Sunflare alone.

Sunflare glared at Auburn as he walked off. "That son of a mule. Why can't he just take a hint that I don't like him?" Sunflare then continued on her way. "Why can't I just tell Stardust how I feel?" She scowled at another thought. "Why does he have to be so thick headed? GUH, he can be so frustrating sometimes." Her look then softened. "*Sigh* I don't know, maybe I'm just thinking about this too much. Maybe I can think about this easier once I've had some rest." Sunflare decided to forget that thought for now and focus on her duties.

The sun had set and night had fallen. The only light in the house Stardust had was from the single candle on the table and the lit fireplace. Stardust had just moved the table from the center of the room to just in front of the book case. He drew chalk lines on the floor in a circle with strange symbols and lines in it. "All right, by my calculations, this should give me results and help me come closer to discovering this new magic I may have found. Here goes nothing." Stardust placed himself at the center of the circle, closed his eyes, spread out his wings, and lit up his horn. The circle and symbols began to glow an eerie purple and black. Stardust looked as if he were struggling as he clenched his eyes and teeth. He grunted the whole time as the black and purple rose from the edges of the circle.

Stardust's body was almost no longer visible to one who would be standing outside the circle. The fire in the fireplace seemed to grow and roar while the flame on the candle seemed to grow more intense and started melting the wax faster. The air began to pick up and blow loose parchments about. "Al….most…there…" Stardust grunted out. The black and purple closed in and formed a dome around Stardust. It swirled violently and surged with dark power. A few seconds later, there was an explosion of magic that rocked the house.

Stardust slowly awoke from a daze after being out for gods know how long. He groaned as he opened his eyes. "Ooohh, my head, what hit me?" He asked. "Ugh, did it work?" He asked himself as he slowly rose. He stumbled a bit at first, but regained his balance and stood straight up. He placed a hoof on his head and rubbed it, hoping to relieve himself of the headache he had. "By the gods, what happened? WAIT! Did it work?" he asked himself. He looked himself over. "Strange, I don't feel any different. Oh, don't tell me it didn't work. All that hard work and years of study wasted. Just great."

Stardust used his magic to clean up the room by levitating all the papers up and back on the table. He then snuffed out the candle and put out the fire in the fire place. "Guess I need to do more research. I'd better get back to the castle and get to bed before I'm missed." Stardust gathered his cloak and put it on. He exited the house and began his walk back to the castle in the night. There was a full moon out tonight with just a few clouds in the sky. What he failed to notice as he made his way through the empty streets to the castle was his shadow seemed to ripple a little in the moon light of the night.


	3. Chapter 3: Something is Amiss

**Chapter 3: Something Is Amiss**

Morning approached as the rays of the sun beamed into Stardust's room, stirring him from his sleep. His eyes slowly opened, he gave a yawn and stretched his limbs, then reluctantly removed himself from under his covers. As he did so, he failed to notice a feather fall from one of his wings. He gave another yawn as he made his way over to his lavatory to clean himself up. Indoor plumbing had come around, but it took pumping to get the water to come. Stardust had a tub with a faucet and pump.

He used his magic to begin the tedious task of pumping the water into the tub for a bath. After a minute of pumping, he was satisfied with the water level. He dipped a hoof in to test the temperature and, much to his dismay, it was chilly. "Brr, cold." He eyed the water carefully. "I wonder." Stardust shifted his eyes back and forth. He looked back at the water and lit up his horn, casting the same heat spell he used last night to light the candle and fire place to show Sunflare. He held it for a few seconds and saw steam start to rise from the water. He ceased his spell and dipped his hoof in the water again.

"Wow, it worked, that's much better. Nice and warm. I am SUCH a genius." He said to himself before climbing into the tub. Star sighed out in contentment at the comfortable warmth of the water. "Wait till I tell Sunflare about this." Stardust stayed in the tub a few minutes before finally getting out, drying himself off, and making his way to the mess hall.

He met up with Sunflare on his way to the mess hall. "Good morning Sunflare, how are you doing this morning?" He asked cheerfully.

Sunflare didn't seem as happy as Stardust as she wore a bit of a frown. "Okay I guess. The water this morning was cold for the bath. I hate these cold seasons, makes it hard to enjoy a bath." She looked at Stardust and saw the smile on his face. "Why are you so happy? Wasn't your bath cold too? Or did you skip it this morning?"

Stardust kept his smile as he answered. "No, I didn't skip it, it was actually quit enjoyable."

She eyed him carefully. "How?"

Star looked around first to make sure no pony ears were close enough to hear as they walked. He then put a hoof to her ear and whispered. "I used that heat spell I showed you last night to warm the water. It was great." He snickered to himself.

"What? No fair Stardust." Sunflare whined. "No fair I have to have a cold bath and you get the luxury of a warm bath because of your….." She paused a moment, taking care not to speak too loudly. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Your magic research."

They entered the mess hall as they continued their talk. "Hey, if you want to learn how to use that spell, I'm more than happy to teach you. That way, you can have a warm bath every day."

They came to the table where many bowls of fruits and vegetables were laid out for others to take. "I don't know Stardust, what if we get caught?" They both levitated a bowl up and made their way to an available table.

"Don't worry Sunflare, it's a simple spell and can be learned easy, I'll teach you in my lab where we won't be disturbed. Trust me, you won't regret it. You'll be able to make the water warmer than what we usually get in the summer times." Stardust said with a smile. The two then took a seat at the end of a table.

"Really?" Sunflare asked.

"Really."

"Well…all right, it would be nice to enjoy a warm bath during these cold months." Sunflare conceded.

"*Ahem*" An elderly sounding mare's voice sounded from the end of the table the two were sitting at.

Stardust and Sunflare looked to the source and saw an elderly pegasus mare standing before them with a grey coat, white mane and tail, and yellow eyes. Her cutie mark was hidden by the grey frilly dress she wore. "Oh, council pony Sore Sight. Good morning." Sunflare greeted.

"Good morning miss." Stardust also greeted.

"Good morning, you two. *ACHOO!* Sniff* Uh." The mare sneezed out.

"Are you all right?" Stardust asked.

"I fear I may be…be….*ACHOO!* *Sniff*Pardon. I fear I may be coming down with a bit of a cold. Blasted cold weather making the water cold." She said as she took out a handkerchief and blew her nose. "My apologies."

"It's all right mam. Did you need something?" Sunflare asked.

"Yes *Sniff* I needed to speak with you, Stardust." Sore said.

"With me?" Stardust asked.

"About yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Stardust grew more nervous with each word.

"Yes *ACHOO!* *Sniff* Pardon. I was looking for you yesterday as I needed to speak with you about something. Yet you were nowhere to be found. I asked some of the castle staff if they knew where you were and one of them said they saw you leaving the castle and heading out into the village. Then I found, just this morning from another member of the staff, that you did not return until late last night. Would be so kind as to…to…*ACHOO!*" She blew her nose again. "*Sniff* pardon. To tell me what you were doing?"

"Uh…um…well you see Sore Sight, mam, I was just….uh…" Stardust had trouble coming up with an excuse. He couldn't let on he had a house outside the castle or it would raise suspicion. Sore Sight looked on at him expectantly, waiting for Stardust to give an answer.

Sunflare grew worried as well. She thought fast and provided an answer. "He was getting supplies!" She answered quicker and a bit louder than she meant. She quickly clasped her hooves over her muzzle.

Sore Sight cocked an eyebrow at her. Stardust looked at her nervously, then back to Sore Sight. "What she said. I was getting supplies for my lab is all."

"I was helping him." Sunflare added.

"I see, and why did you come back so late Stardust? Care to explain tha….tha…*ACHOO!* *SNIFF* Pardon. Care to explain that?"

"Well, you see, I just…wanted to…get a better look at the stars is all. Not just look at them through a telescope. They really are quite beautiful." Stardust offered.

Sore Sight eyed him curiously. Stardust and Sunflare both gulped. "Very well, but do try not to stay out too late." She said.

"Of course madam. I'll remember." Stardust responded.

"Uh, this blasted cold made me forget what it was I wanted to speak with you about in the first place. *ACHOO!* Pardon."

"Well if you remember, I'll be in my lab most of the day so you can just come by any time and see me then." Stardust offered.

"*Sniff* Ugh, I suppose so. Very well then, you may continue with your meal. I will see you around Stardust, Sunfla…fla…fla…..*ACHOO!* *Sniff* Pardon."

"You should really take it easy today mam, since you're not feeling well and all." Stardust said.

"I appreciate the concern Stardust, thank you. I suppose I should just relax in my room for the day, or at least until I'm over this blasted cold. Ah…AH….*ACHOO!**Sniff* Pardon." She blew her nose again. "Good day you two." She said as she turned to leave.

"Gosh, I almost feel sorry for her." Sunflare stated.

Stardust rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm, I wonder." He quickly got up from his seat and went after her. "Madam Sore Sight?" He called. Sunflare was surprised by this and just watched.

Sore Sight stopped in her tracks then turned to face Stardust. "Yes Stardust, what is it? *Sniff*"

"Madam Sore Sight, what if I told you, I have a way to make water warm?" He asked.

Sore Sight cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Stardust, this better not be one of you…you….*ACHOO!**Sniff* Pardon, one of your unapproved experiments."

Sunflare had come over to join them. "Think about it Sore Sight, mam. Never having to take another cold bath again? Never having to worry about catching a cold from them? Being able to relax and enjoy a nice warm bath whenever you want? Doesn't that sound nice?"

Sore Sight seemed to smile at the idea. "It does sound lovely." She soon regained her straight face. "But it is unapproved, such a thing will not be allowed."

"Then let me take the steps to get it approved. I promise madam Sore sight, this could…"

"*ACHOO**Sniff* Pardon."

"Uh…this could really improve the quality of life for every pony in the castle…and the village." Stardust said. "I promise, I haven't been using any magic to do these things, but I have been looking into it. I do have the research, but I haven't been messing with spells to test it." This, of course was a lie. He did have the research and all, but he had also been using magic to test it.

"I suppose that is acceptable. Very well, I will inform the rest of the council you wish to pursue this and we will convene to discuss the matter. Be sure to have a valid argument at the ready." She gave a light smile. "To be honest, I really do like the sound of it and hope it goes through, you will most certainly have my vote."

Stardust and Sunflare smiled. "Thank you madam Sore Sight, I really appreciate this." Stardust said.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go lie down, I fear a headache is coming on as well." Sore Sight then turned and continued on her way.

"This is great Stardust. She actually likes the idea. This could be a step in the right direction to getting your research approved." Sunflare stated.

"I know, this is so big, I have to get to work and get my notes together. Care to help me, Sunflare?" Stardust asked happily.

"You know it."

The two then went back to the mess hall to finish their breakfast, failing to notice Stardust had lost another feather from his wing.

The day, Stardust and Sunflare were in Stardust's lab jotting down and recording notes they had made before regarding the stars. The room had three wooden tables, four shelves full of books and scrolls, and star maps stacked on the tables. There was a black telescope set up near a window at the back of the room with yellow trimmings. Sunflare was on one side of the room opposite the door while Stardust was at another table going over some star maps. "Hmm, according to these notes, The o'mare constellation will be in view within the next month signaling the start of winter, yet these stars seem out of place for that. I need to see the map of the fall night skies. Sunflare, can you get me the star map of the fall sky from last year please?" Sunflare turned from the table she was at to get the requested item.

When she turned though, she froze in her tracks at what she saw. A single shadow tentacle like object emerged from Stardust's shadow and reached over to one of the shelves, grabbed a star map, and brought it over. Unaware of what was going on, Stardust took the scroll from its grasp. "Thank you Sunflare."

"Um…Stardust, I didn't get it." She said with a shocked expression.

He looked over to her with a curious look. "What do you mean?" She pointed a hoof to his side. He looked down just in time to see a shadowy bulge sink into his shadow. His eyes went wide. "By the heavens, what was that? Sunflare, did you see that?"

"I did."

"Well, what was it?" Stardust asked.

"I….I don't know, it looked like some shadowy snake thing or something." Sunflare answered.

Stardust looked back down at his shadow in thought. "It can't be…can it? Did it actually work?"

Sunflare grew confused. "Did what work?"

"That experiment I conducted the other night, it may have worked." Stardust answered, starting to sound excited.

"Experiment, what experiment?"

"The one that was supposed to help me find that new form of magic I was talking about. It may have actually worked!" Stardust wore a huge grin on his face. "This is wonderful, I gained access to a new form of magic!"

Sunflare quickly rushed over and put both her hooves over his mouth. "Shh, you want every pony in the castle to know?" She removed them and took a step back.

"Sorry, it's just this is big, it actually worked."

"So what now?" Sunfalre asked.

"Now, I need to experiment with it, figure out how it works and what it's capable of. This is so exciting." Stardust paced back and forth as he began making plans on how to work with it. "Wait, let's see if I can do that again." He eyed the shelf nearest the door and picked a target with his eyes, a red book. "Okay, here goes." He concentrated and focused on the task he wished to complete. His shadow began to move. Sunflare watched carefully as Stardust focused. Just like before, a single shadowy tentacle rose up from stardust's shadow and moved towards the shelf and up to the book Stardust wanted. The thing grabbed the book and pulled it off the shelf, then brought it over to Stardust.

"It worked…it actually worked…I DID IT!" He jumped with joy with his wings spread out. Two more feathers fell out without notice. Stardust quickly dropped to the ground and clasped his hooves over his own mouth at the same time as Sunflare. They looked around to see if anypony might be nearby. Once they saw the coast was clear, they removed their hooves together. "This is so….incredible." Stardust said in a whisper.

"I'll admit this is big, Stardust, but you need to be careful. Who knows what this kind of magic is capable of, it could be dangerous." Sunflare offered.

"I know Sunflare, that's why I'll be extra careful when testing it out." It was then a thought popped into his head. "Sunflare, what time is it?"

Sunflare looked out the window to see the position of the sun. "It's about ten in the morning. Why?"

Stardust let out a gasp. "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be late!"

Sunflare soon realized what he meant. "Your meeting with the council! You better get going."

"Right, thanks Sunflare, I'll see you later." Stardust gathered a few scrolls together, gave Sunfarle a quick peck on the cheek, and headed out.

Sunflare was caught off guard by this. She wore a look of surprise and a blush.

Stardust stopped in his tracks just after exiting his room and turning right. "Did I just….nah." He shook his head, then continued on his way.

Stardust soon came to a pair of wooden doors. He used his magic to open them and stepped through. The room he entered was large and had two rows of benches, five on each row. At the end of the aisle was a wooden podium that stood before a long table with seven ponies sitting behind it. The rest of the council that ran the village had gathered. From left to right was Earth Shaker wearing a brown suit, Sore Sight wearing her grey dress, Snooty wearing his green suit, Auburn wearing a dark brown suit with frills coming out of the sleeves, and the rest of the council. Another earth pony mare with a cherry coat, purple mane and tail wearing a beige and white dress covering her cutie mark and pink eyes. This was council pony Berry.

Next to her sat a unicorn stallion with an orange coat, brown mane and tail wearing an orange suite and had a stack of books for a cutie mark, with yellow eyes. This was council pony Civil. Finally, next to him sat a Pegasus mare with a black coat with a black and white dress covering her cutie mark, a pink mane and tail, and red eyes. This was council pony Rosey.

Stardust approached the podium and stood before the council, each had a stern look. Stardust set his notes on the podium. "Greetings council, I thank you for taking the time to meet me like this." He stated with a nervous smile.

"Stardust, miss Sore Sight here says you may have something that could help to improve the quality of life in the castle and for the rest of the village, is that true?" Auburn asked.

"It is sir, I have…..accidentally….come across a way that could allow us to heat up the water in our bathtubs so we could all take a nice warm bath when we wanted instead of…."

"ACHOO!" Sore Sight sneezed out. "*Sniff* Excuse me, please continue." She said.

"….of having to suffer cold water." Stardust finished hesitantly.

His statement got the other council members talking amongst themselves. Auburn just looked at him, while Sore Sight smiled as she liked the idea. "You say you came across this by accident?" Auburn asked.

"Well….yes." Stardust lied.

Auburn narrowed his eyes. "How?"

"Well…..I was working hard one night and…..was getting frustrated with these results I was getting from watching the stars. In my tired and agitated state, I….."

"ACHOO! *sniff* Excuse me." Sore Sight sneezed again.

"…used a standard levitation spell to get a scroll I needed to look at, but instead, without realizing it, I set it on fire by accident. I was able to put it out before the scroll burned up. So there you have it. I figure if I can harness that, then….we could use it to light candles and fireplaces easily. Plus, possibly have warm baths."

Auburn's scowl remained. "If you think we're going to approve this…..heat magic, you are sadly…."

"Now hold on Auburn." Civil interrupted. "I think this sounds like he may be on to something."

"Yes, it does sound intriguing." Cherry agreed.

"I know I've been rather annoyed with having to take a cold bath every morning." Earth Shaker said.

"ACHOO! *Sniff* Pardon." Sore sneezed again. "And I believe it is because of these cold waters that I came down with this blasted cold I'm suffering from. If this warm water can help, I say we look into it more."

"But….but he….." Auburn tried to argue.

"All those in favor of letting Stardust look into this heat magic, say I." Rosey called out. All but one hoof went into the air. "I!" All but one agreed.

"All those opposed?" Civil asked.

"Neigh." Auburn said. "This is an affront, we don't need to be looking into something like this. Things are going just fine as they are, we know all we need to know about the world."

"Sorry Auburn, but the I's have it." Snooty said. He then looked to Stardust. "Stardust, you may look into this heating magic of yours further when you have the time."

Stardust was grinning from ear to ear. "Thank you, council. I promise you won't regret it."

"Congratulations Star….star…..ACHOO! *Sniff* Pardon. Congratulations Stardust." Sore Sight said with a tired smile.

Stardust gathered his notes again and galloped off back to his lab. A few more feathers had fallen out from his wings as he ran off. He burst into his lab. "Sunflare, Sunflare I have great news!"

Sunflare turned around from the table she was in front. "Yes, StarduOOF!" She was interrupted as Stardust took her in a big hug.

"The council approved! I can look into the fire magic more! Isn't that great?"

"That's….great Stardust….can you….let me go now please?" Sunflare said through gasps.

"Oh, sorry." He released her and she took in a deep breath of air. "This is wonderful. I'm just one step closer to opening so many minds and being able to conduct the research I want. This is so GREAT!"

"Congratulations Stardust." Sunflare said with a smile.

"Thank you Sunflare, I really appreciate your support." Stardust suddenly gave Sunflare a big kiss on the lips. He held it for a second then pulled away. "Oh, this is too perfect, Auburn tried to turn me down but the other council ponies were on my side."

As Stardust went off on a rant, Sunflare was blushing with a look of shock from the kiss.

"I need to get started and gather all the research I have on the fire spell. But I'm going to have to make it look like I'm taking my time with it. If I suddenly come out with all I already have, it could raise suspicion." He turned around to face Sunflare. "I'm going to need your help Sunflare."

"Huh?" Stardust's voice addressing her snapped her out of her stupor.

"I said I'm going to need your help with this."

"Oh, uh….sure…no problem." She answered, still in a bit of shock.

It was then Stardust realized what he did. "Oh…..uh….Sorry Sunflare…I…I just kinda…..I dind't mean to…..I mean…I was just so….well…..I….I should probably go for now." He turned to leave.

"Stardust…wait." Sunflare called to him.

Stardust stopped in his tracks and turned his head to her. "Yeah."

Sunflare hesitated a moment, pondering if maybe now would be the time to tell him how she felt. "Um….can we…talk?"


End file.
